Back to Reality
by Queenofununu
Summary: In the hopes they'll be deemed the lesser threat, the Magical Community is revealing itself to the Muggles, not long after the Vampires 'came out of the coffin'. This story follows the reactions and consequences of this revelation. Harry-Centric. No Slash. Warning: I'm not sure if and when I will continue this. It's my first story and I don't know how I will get on tbh.
1. Chapter 1

The vampires were not the only society planning on 'coming out' to the mundane world. Deep in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic, (London, UK) a top secret meeting is taking place...

"I'm just saying that we need a _sanctuary;_ a place we can all retreat to if it all goes _tits up_!" a man in a deep blue cowled robe spoke with both urgency and exasperation. His arms swung up in a gesture of deep agitation.

"Will you _stop_ banging on about a sanctuary Brian!?" A skinny hunched figure in a dark brown cowled robe, that was slightly too short for the owner, and flashed a hairy pair of pale ankles, snarked in response. "We don't **need one**; there's a little something called secrecy wards, which every decent wizard and their toad knows how to put up. If you're a pathetic wizard that _can't_, well...let the Muggles have you, I say."

The dry, blasé voice of a woman interceded, "Yes, fuck everyone that doesn't know how to throw up a ward. A fantasticly wise plan" she let the pause stretch on, and in the silence the impied '**Not.**' hung. The deep ruby red of her cowled robe shimmered as she crossed her arms and wrapped the cloak around her as she stared challengingly at the hunched figure with a cocked head.

A broad shouldered man in a black cowled robe straightened to draw the attention of the others and as he spoke his deep, soft voice echoed around the dimly-lit cavernous room, "Brian, Boris, Beryl, please... Let us return to the topic at hand. We have been tasked to review who we should nominate as the Representative. Now I think we all know, we're not going to assess every witch and wizard in the country." He paused as they all shared a chuckle over this amusing suggestion from the ICW.

"And Brian, I understand why you would be concerned-" the black cowled man continued after the tension eased from the little joke.

"Yeah, 'cause he's an incompetent numpty" mutteres Boris into his chest. As it was such a quiet room everyone heard his poorly concealed words. The black cowled man's head swung rapidly towards him and he twitched in response and hunched his head further toward his chest in an effort to avoid the forbidding stare.

"_As _I was saying." With heavy emphasis on the first word, the black cowled man began again as the other two smirked in appreciation of his quelling the abrasive presence of Boris. "I understand your concern Brian, as I had the same worries. We have hidden from the Muggles for a long time and we have no way of knowing how they will react to our presence. But the reason we're doing it now, of all times, is that we will, _comparatively_ appear less dangerous. So they should have their hands full with the vampires and shouldn't focus too much on attacking our people."

"I thought it was because we thought with the Vamps coming out of the coffin that it wouldn't be long until we were discovered as a consequence" Beryl spoke up in an arch tone.

"Yes, there are many reasons for doing so." A sharp hand wave indicated that he wanted the discussion over. "Let's get back on topic. A representative. Let's draw up a list of criteria and then find the best man to fit".

"Or _**woman.**_" Beryl spoke with great emphasis, the inflection of a woman aware and aggrieved by the blatant and continuous gender discrimination in the workplace.

"Yes..Yes of course; man or woman." The black cowled man nodded obligingly.

Beryl sighed inaudibly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Trueblood**

Harry Potter quickly strode threw the halls of the Ministry of Magic, eyes focussed intently ahead, a well practiced, entirely faked, expression of urgency on his face, as he made his way to the newly built Auditorium on the third floor.

As he made his way to the double doors, he saw they were wide open and about twenty witches and wizards were struggling to pass the cameramen and reporters lurking inside the doorway.

The announcement that the ICW had voted in favour of the abolishment of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy 1692 had come earlier in the week and the newspapers had been becoming steadily more aggressive in the pursuit of further details.

Harry slowed down as he drew closer to the doors, and felt a twinge of annoyance as he heard the voice of Rita Skeeter sarcastically ask "And are we meant to just pretend everything is normal, when we will soon have jealous Muggles attacking our families, our houses, our _children_?".

Harry stopped short, assessing the crowd from a short distance away. Rita was laying into poor Marcus, a man unused to confrontation and currently looking hopelessly around in search of support. "Do we have no choice in the matter? How dare you circumvent our human rights like this? The Ministry has a lot to answer for. The British public demands an explanation!" Rita was clearly in top form today; her dramatic flair and love of controversy on display, clearly ignited by the unpopular response to the announcement.

After a deep steadying breath Harry stepped forward and projected his voice, taking charge of the situation as he had become accustomed to in his formative years, "We are here today to provide that explanation." He swept his gaze across the crowd, which had quietened somewhat at his words.

Amidst the crowd discontented mutters could be heard. He resolutely ignored them and caught the eyes of Rita Skeeter as he loudly said "Please clear the doors and take your seats. Reporters and cameramen should take their place in the first three rows surrounding the stage." He gestured with his hands in encouragement and slowly resumed his walk towards the doorway as he did so.

Rita tugged on her suit jacket firmly to smooth out wrinkles and showed the barest hint of a smile, which he interpreted as an indication of the trouble she meant to stir up today, as she turned towards the Auditorium and entered quickly, making her way to the front of the room.

Harry brought his hand down on Marcus' shoulder as he drew even with him and gave it a reassuring squeeze as the man gave him a grateful smile full of relief. Harry smiled and rolled his eyes, causing Marcus to laugh in agreement of the gesture.

After gently patting the man on the back Harry went up to the stage and, carefully maintaining his confident appearance, he took the seat on the far left of the seven seats available. He sat upright and watched as the room filled up, slightly nervous as he thought of what was to come.

Today the witches and wizards of Britain would be tuning into the Wizarding Wireless Network to listen to the first official meeting in the Ministry, which every employee of the British Ministry of Magic would be attending, to cover the impact the abolishment of the Secrecy Statute would have and what the preliminary plan of action was.

Harry would be up on the stage with five other candidates, all involved to varying degrees in the planning of the revelation, and nominated to the position of Wizarding Representative. After the Ministers finished up the meeting, the different candidates would be interviewed by a reporter from the Wizarding Wireless Network.

Whilst flattered to have been nominated, he was not overly enthused with the idea of being constantly in the public eye, or with the increased attention from the media, both Muggle and Magical.

His musing was cut short by the arrival of some of the other candidates: Miranda Hipworth, a well-known Healer; Alexander Pinkstone, a Wizarding Barrister; and Lorraine Miller, a senior associate in the Department of International Magical Cooperation and a fervent advocate for abolishment of the Statute.

The cameramen were snapping pictures of the candidates as they walked up to the stage, and Harry stood politely to nod in greeting and shake their hands as they met. Miranda took the seat next to him on the stage; she crossed her legs and leaned in toward him giving him a warm conspirational smile.

"Lorraine and I are heading to that new pub, The Snidgets Wing, after this if you're interested."

"I'll have to check on Ginny first. She's due in a couple of weeks" he grinned proudly at the thought of his heavily pregnant wife.

"Wow that's come along quickly! Well I hope you can make it." With that she turned toward Alex and offered the same invitation. Miranda was a gorgeous, full-figured woman, with long dark hair and dark, soulful eyes. She had initiated most of their social gatherings since they had all begun their work together a month ago today but she made Harry slightly uncomfortable as she was quite promiscuous, and he was conscious of the impression people might get if he showed how much he enjoyed her company.

Harry glanced around the room and noted that most of the Ministry staff had now filed in and taken their seats.

Robert Ogden, current Minister of Magic strolled into the room, with Arnold Peasegood, the final nominated candidate, dogging his heels.

Whilst Harry generally got along fairly well with most people he had taken a quick dislike to Arnold Peasegood a month ago, when the nominees had been invited in to meet with the Minister. Peasegood had, in his opinion, acted with over-familiarity and with a pushiness that he found irritating. Robert, however, had turned out to be a charismatic man who was very polite and had demonstrated that he could remain calm and collected in the face of potential chaos. He was of average height and build, with hair greying at his temples and serious, grey eyes. Despite being cautious of politicians, he felt that Robert was a competent Minister.

As the two came up to the stage he heard Peasegood loudly bragging, "..in the Crooked Wand last night, and Shacklebolt and Bones both said that I'd be the perfect representative, and I said to them 'You're absolutely right. I am the best man for the job'" He then proceeded to laugh boisterously whilst leaning in and holding eye contact with the Minister, as if to encourage him to nod and laugh along with him. The Minister smiled at him politely but Harry saw his eyes flick towards the rest of them with an apology in his eyes. Peasegood slapped him on the back, completely oblivious to the awkward moment, and waved to the crowd before he took his seat.

Harry shifted his eyes toward Miranda and they shared a look which had become common whilst in the presence of Peasegood.

The Minister waved his wand towards the doors and they swung firmly shut. With a tap to his throat he employed the use of the Sonorus spell to magnify his voice, and as he spoke the crowd quietened, "Ladies and gentlemen you will all be aware that we are here today to give you our expectations and plans following the abolishment of the Statute of Secrecy due to occur at the end of November, this year (2006)."

"...near Christmas so it's a great time to show off the beauty of magic"

"Almost a year since the Vampires announced so we'll be able to assess how they've taken that news and judge whether we should execute our plan to reveal our society, though only in extreme circumstances will the plan be aborted..."

"..plan to build up the number of witches and wizards skilled in handling Vampires so we can provide protection and prove our society to be benevolent..."

"..ten months time to prepare.."

"... changes and additions to our laws.."

"International co-operation is key and we need to synchronise.."

"Office of Misinformation and the Obliviators from the Reversal Squad will not become obsolete but will perform a slightly different role..."

"Heads of Department will be rolling out the changes this week and the different projects will be assigned this month; if anyone is interested..."

"A** Representative**, to make the announcement to the Muggles in our country, to liaise with the Muggle government and help us build the right relationships between our two governing bodies. They will also appear on what the Muggles call 'Television' and give interviews and answer questions, and generally just represent our society... diplomatic and above all, to be aware of all the protocols we will be putting in place."

"So now I will hand off to the Wireless Network, who will be interviewing the candidates up for the role of Representative. An election will be held and votes will be counted starting from 8pm and will be open for 24 hours; the results will be announced 9pm tomorrow on the Wireless and the Prophet will be covering the story in the papers." With that Robert stepped back from the podium and gestured to a mature Wizard forward to take the stage and proceed. He then stepped off of the stage and took a seat on the front row to watch.

"Well! Hello to the Ministry and all our listeners! My name is Byron Stein and I will be interviewing the candidates behind me. Let's go right to left. Mr Arnold Peasegood could you please step up!" Byron gestured the man forward.

Peasegood jumped up, grinning and waving at the crowd, and a few stray claps echoed around the auditorium. He let out a little laugh, clearly very excited and nervous at the attention; a red tinge had taken up residence on his cheekbones.

Byron looked him over and gave him a reassuring smile, "Ok. So, here with me is Arnold Peasegood. Arnold is a junior minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. Could you give us a quick overview of your career to date please Arnie?"

Peasegood had been listening with a very attentive expression, nodding along. He jumped slightly when addressed and the gave another nervous laugh, "Well! I don't know how quick I can make it Byron but I'll do my best! Haha!"

Byron did not utter a polite chuckle, but instead stared at him blankly. Peaegood blinked a little and continued with a slightly rosier tint, "Er. Yes- well I started working for the Ministry as soon as I finished Hogwarts- recruited, actually. Erm. I took a position in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, recording accidents and filing reports. After that, I managed to get a position as an Obliviator which I stayed in for about five years. Er..I then did a brief stint in the Office of Misinformation but – well that's a difficult job to take on permanently. It requires a very, er- creative person!" Peasegood stumbled over his words and Byron, who had been nodding along, interceded to ask a question.

"So you're not very creative then Arnie?" he had an open, enquiring expression directed at Peasegood and for a brief moment he was clearly a little stumped at how to answer this question, if the blank look on his face was any indication. Byron didn't allow him much time to recover. He chuckled as he said slyly, "Oh dear, I think I've caught him off guard! Mr Peasegood, do you think you're composed enough to be the Representative? Keeping in mind the intense scrutiny that role will face and the many appearances on television it will require. And I will remind our listeners that a television is a device Muggles can use to watch and listen to people."

Harry crossed his arms and winced in sympathy at the confrontational turn the interview had taken.

Peasegood looked a little incredulous at this sudden attack, "I am a very composed man! I hardly think pausing for a moment to collect one's thoughts is a- an offence so awful that I need to be criticised on my composure! And to answer you previous question, I _can_ be a creative man but I didn't particularly enjoy devising lies for a living, and that is the _real_ reason I had to leave the Office of Misinformation."

"I see. Well I apologise if I offended you Arnie." Byron was not phased at all by the furious defence Peasegood had delivered and quickly moved on, "Let's get back to your career; what did you do after leaving the Office of Misinformation?"

Peasegood cleared his throat and continued, his excitement gone, and a briskness taking it's place, "I trained and served as a Hit-Wizard for about four years, before I took a desk job as team supervisor for a year. I then went into my current role as junior minister in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes."

"And would you say that all this would help you if you were elected?"

Peasegood jumped in quickly with his response, clearly an instinctive reply, "Of course!"

"...Could you elaborate?"

"Well for one thing I understand how the Ministry works in a way you can't just pick up; it comes from years of experience. And I'm sure being a former Hit-Wizard would give me a lot of credibility and trust as that is equivalent to being a Muggle police officer. And I know all the cover stories we've used over the years and so, out of all the candidates I will be able to spot any trouble rising if questioned on any of the cover-ups. And, if need be, I am very skilled in the use of the Obliviation charm!" Peasegood laughed at his own joke, however Byron again failed to echo it and instead jumped at the opening.

"Ah, now you've raised an interesting topic there; will we be revealing our use of the Obliviation spell? I imagine that such a thing would not be well received." Byron pulled a face and the Auditorium echoed with laughs of agreement.

Peasegood laughed along and answered "I'm not sure... I agree it probably would need to be handled with a great deal of delicacy if we do."

"Hmm." Byron turned towards them and asked if any of them knew.

Harry shifted forward in his seat and provided the answer, "The abolishment of the Statute is no half measure; we will be revealing the existence of the Obliviate spell, the Obliviation Squadsandthe Office of Misinformation."

He looked around at the crowd and into the camera's covering the stage whilst he spoke, before looking back at Byron, "Whilst it will likely cause suspicion to fall on us, and it might seem a violation, and at times, an uncalled for action, we do have justifications and normally, logical reasons for Obliviating people and circulating cover stories. In fact, the Muggle government is no different apart from the fact that they are not able to magically remove people's memories." He leant back into his chair once he had given his explanation, confident that he had appeared both knowledgeable and at ease. He caught Peasegood frowning at him slightly as he glanced over.

"Thank you Mr Potter; that was Harry Potter speaking if you didn't recognise his voice. He's another candidate and I very much look forward to interviewing him later. It's good to know someone is aware of what is happening!" Byron shot him a quick smile of approval before turning his attention back to Peasegood, who had pursed his lips, obviously aware he had just been insulted but unable to do anything whilst they were live on air.

"So Mr Peasegood, my research tells me you haven't been exposed to the media very much; can you say with confidence that you'll be able to handle the attention, both positive and negative?"

"Absolutely; I'm a mature man, I know not to take criticism seriously and I don't think I'll have any serious issues with it."

"Mmm." The monosyllable conveyed pure scepticism, but he jumped to the next topic quickly, "And how is your knowledge of Muggles and their society? Would you say you understood them well?"

"I know as much as the next wizard! What's to know really?"

"Mmm" Again, Byron seemed to be undermining Peasegood with his sceptical humming. Harry hoped that he would not get treated the same, even as he felt sympathy for Peasegood. "Well, let's give you a quick quiz. Do you know what a smart phone is?"

"Er.. no I don't. Is that- what is it?"

"It's a device which has a multitude of uses but what would concern me is that it can take photos and videos, _with sound_, and connect to the internet and share that content across the entire world in seconds. Actually, I'm amazed that the Statute hasn't been rendered obsolete already!"

Peasegood was obviously unsure how to respond and settled on a "Hmm".

Byron nodded with a satisfied look on his face and clapped his hands together "Well, ladies and gentlemen I think it's time we move on to our next candidate. Before we do, Arnold, is there anything you'd like to say to our listeners?"

Peasegood smiled and said "Indeed there is. I want the listeners to know that I am a pureblood wizard with many years of experience in government. I have many contacts and I'm confident that will be of great benefit when building relationships between the two governments."

Peasegood was staring fixedly at the cameras and gesturing broadly with his hands, "I _know _I'm the right man for the job, I just need this opportunity to prove it. Whoever gets this position will be representing Wizardkind and I think I can represent our people and our culture with honour, and _composure. _Some might think we're essentially Muggles but with magic, but if you know better, vote for me. Thank you for listening."

Harry frowned, disapproving of the elitism evident in the speech and he shared another glance with Miranda, hers also reflecting concern.

"Right! Our next candidate is Miss Lorraine Miller." She sedately got up out of her seat and walked over to Byron.

"Miss Miller is a senior associate in the Department of International Magical Cooperation and has been an advocate for abolishment of the Statute for a number of years. Miss Miller, you've been committed to this for so long and I have to ask: why?"

Lorraine was a petite witch in her mid thirties, with black hair in a severe bun and cool grey eyes. In the time he had known her, Harry had judged her to be the consummate proffesional, dedicated to her job and a bit of a workaholic. She appeared calm and comfortable, with no sign the crowd or cameras were causing her any nerves.

She answered the question easily, her voice strong and clear, "There are many reasons why I am so _utterly_ convinced that this is necessary and furthermore, the right thing to do. It will be of great benefit to both of our societies in many ways. I first became committed to the cause of abolishment after a personal, life changing event."

She took a deep breath, seeming to collect herself, and Harry thought he caught the shimmer of tears in her eyes. He watched her intently, his curiosity raising it's persistent head.

"Twenty seven years ago, my father was killed in a Death Eater attack on Diagon Alley. My mother, a muggle, was injured and rendered incapable of taking care of me by herself. As a consequence I was put in the custody of my uncle, a wizard. My mother was deemed to be a possible security risk and she was obliviated..." she bowed her head briefly before focussing on the cameras.

Her words were filled with emotion as she related her personal story, "All memory of my father and I was removed. I wasn't allowed to see her – eleven years in total. I went to her as soon as I turned seventeen and I had the freedom to do so. A member of an Obliviation Squad came with me."

She paused; we were all hanging off her every word, "He told me that the original block had been incorrectly applied and there was no way to safely remove it."

After a deep breath the emotions seemed to drain away and she concluded her story, "That was when I realised what a **mistake** the Statute of Secrecy was and why I am committed to seeing it gone."

Byron allowed a respectful silence to continue for several seconds before he continued. "Thank you for sharing that with us Lorraine. I know it can't have been easy and it definitely highlights a key problem with the Statute."

"We discussed earlier the sensitivity needed to elaborate on the topic of Obliviation; do you think your personal experience would cause any difficulties with this?" Harry inhaled sharply, concern for Lorraine rising within him. After hearing her story of loss his protective instincts were roused and he felt very strongly that this was an inappropriate question. Lorraine, however took the question in stride.

"On the contrary, I think I will be viewed as a fellow victim and we can acknowledge the dangers of the spell. There is no denying that the spell can be misused but it can have it's uses and that is a perspective I can deliver to the Muggles."

Byron nodded to her and moved on to his next topic, "It certainly seems as though you're very involved in proceedings. Do you know whether the Ministry will be providing any help in warding Wizarding households in Muggle areas?"

"Ensuring our safety is a very key concern and it is being considered carefully. At the moment there are no plans to assist in warding but I am sure that it's something Harry will be on top of in the months to come." She looked toward him and he smiled back and affirmed her comment.

"That's reassuring. We'll come back to that topic, if that's alright Mr Potter." Harry nodded amiably.

"Miss Miller you have experience with the media, making announcements on behalf of your deparment, but are you prepared to deal with the personal attention if you're elected?"

Lorraine smiled and promptly replied, "I have nothing to hide. My personal experiences have given me a very pragmatic outlook on life and I'm not disposed toward showing overt displays of emotion, which I think is advantageous when dealing with the press." She smiled at Byron, a knowing look in her eyes.

Byron laughed and said, "Fair enough! And how is your knowledge of Muggles? Do you know what the internet is?"

"I believe it's a type of network for sharing information and for communication. I haven't lived in the Muggle world before but I am familiar with a lot of their technology."

"That is correct! Thank you Lorraine. Before we move on to the next candidate, is there anything you would like to say to the listeners?"

Lorraine looked toward the cameras "I have not sought election, and I honestly do not think that I am best suited to the job. I would like to support Harry Potter and would ask that anyone who would have voted for me, instead vote in his favour. The Representative will reflect on us all and after getting to know him, I am confident that he is the very best of Wizardkind and would show us in a very favourable light. Thank you." With that she turned towards Harry and smiled before returning to her seat.

Byron appeared flabbergasted, "I was not expecting that. Thank you Lorraine Miller for your words of honesty."

Alex walked up without being asked and Byron quickly introduced him, "I have with me Mr Alexander Pinkstone. He's a Barrister and the son of the infamous Carlotta Pinkstone, who has been imprisoned for breaking the Statute of Secrecy. I imagine this is also quite personal for you Alex. Am I right?"

Alex is tall and thin, dressed in a sharp suit, with a serious face and dark features.

He seemed to glare out at the cameras, "I have no interest in being the Representative. I'd rather fuck a dragon*. Just because my Mother got fucking locked up for breaking the fucking Statute doesn't mean I want to do the same _fucking_ thing. Vote for Harry." He spun about on his heel and settled back into his chair, his face daring anyone to comment on his choice of words.

"Ah yes. Ahem, _moving swiftly on_, Miranda could you come stand with me please? Miss Miranda Hipworth is a Healer working in the Paediatric department. Her family line has dedicated themselves to Healing since her ancestor, Glover Hipworth invented the cure to the common cold, the Pepperup Potion." She sauntered up to Byron to a round of applause.

She asked for the microphone and Byron handed it over with a puzzled and slightly worried smile, "Lorraine and I discussed this before we came here today and whilst she went through the interview to get her story out and to emphasise the need for caution in the use of Obliviation, I would just like to say that I have no interest in being elected. I am heavily involved in organising the creation of Wizarding Hospitals available for Muggle use, and don't think that I can do both at the same time, though I will be happy to assist in presenting that piece of news when the time comes."

She handed the mic back over and Byron quickly stalled her from walking off, "Well ladies and gentlemen that brings us down to just two candidates. Are you supporting any candidate in particular Healer Hipworth?"

"I will also be backing Harry who is definitely the best man for the job. Thank you." With a wink at a surprised Harry she strolled back to her seat and gave him a smirk as she retook the seat next to him.

Byron grinned widely and spun towards him, "Harry Potter, it seems you have impressed three of the candidates so much that they've taken themselves out of the election!"

"I wouldn't say that Byron; they each have their own reasons for not wanting to be our Representative. I am pleased to have their support though." Harry went up to Byron as he spoke, he waved his wand and with a couple of flicks, conjured up two armchairs for them to sit in.

Byron reacted with enthusiasm, "Oh wonderful conjuration work Mr Potter; Harry has kindly conjured up a couple of excellent armchairs aaaand – yes! They are very comfy."

"Thank you."

"Well let's get straight on with the interview, shall we? First off, can you please give us an overview of your career to date?"

Harry smiled politely and gave a very quick outline, "I worked as an Auror for four years, but I realised that it wasn't something that I wanted to do long-term, so I began studying for my Mastery in Warding, which I achieved two years ago. Soon after I opened up my business, Protect and Defend, and I provide warding and protective services at competitive rates. My team and I run Defense classes for adults at the weekend, and we sell a range of items which will help with personal security and safety."

"Impressive. And it might seem obvious to some, but could you please explain how this experience will help you be the Representative?"

In the corner of his eye he saw Peasegood frowning at him again but he ignored him and answered the question "Certainly. As with Peasegood, I would hope my background in law enforcement would encourage trust in me. Most of all, I think my business would be of great interest to them, as we predict that the biggest issue with revealing our society would be that they would fear us and our power. Showing them immediately that there are options that will keep them safe, can only be of benefit."

Byron nodded along whilst he spoke, "Mmm, and you know Muggles quite well don't you Harry?"

"I grew up in a Muggle household so I'm more aware of them than the average Wizard, and I do make an effort to stay up to date on what's going on in non-magical society, so yes, I would agree with you."

"Good, good. Earlier, Lorraine mentioned that you would know more about whether the Ministry would be providing help in warding Wizarding households in Muggle areas. Could you tell us what you know?"

Harry knew the public must have a lot of questions and want reassurance, even after hearing the Minister's speech so he tried to help as much as he could, "There is no plan to do so at the moment, but if anyone has concerns all they need to do is come to my shop on Diagon, and we can arrange a quick appointment for assessment of the property and a quote for how much the work will cost. I will be offering a very low price for a basic package of Muggle Repelling, Notice Me Not and the usual safety features that stops accidental and malicious harm to your property."

There was a smattering of applause from the crowd at his announcement.

"Now Harry, I understand you were pro-abolishment." At his nod, Byron continued, "Aren't you concerned about the reaction of the Muggles? Won't they want us to fix all their problems, fear us and attack us when they don't get what they want? There are reasons the Statute has lasted for over 300 years after all!"

"The concerns you have are common, but I am confident that if we manage expectations carefully and address any issues that arise, working together with the non-magical government, we will integrate and become stronger for it." He thought for a moment and decided to address the specific concerns more thoroughly, "You ask whether they'll want us to fix their problems? They have their own methods of dealing with things, and when it comes to healing, we have plans in place to assist in that area, as you heard from Miranda before. Will they fear us? Sure, some of them will. Will it provoke them to attack us? The government will not, we're confident of that. Will individuals try to? Maybe they will, but we can defend ourselves easily enough."

He took a deep breath and looked around the Auditorium. He had the attention of the entire room. Normally he would feel some trepidation in front of such a large crowd but his blood felt hot and he was speaking with passion, "It. Is. **Time. **Time for change. I personally am quite excited to see what will happen. When I was eleven and the Wizarding world was revealed to me, I was amazed, _thrilled_, excited and so, _so_ happy to discover _**magic is real**__.._. Witches and Wizards that grew up in this world, surrounded by the impossible, can't appreciate how..._fantastic _that revelation is. I guarantee, that for every person out there that will be frightened and aggressive to our kind, there will be another, eager to be a part of our world."

"Ah..." Byron cleared his throat loudly and "Thank you Harry, I am sure many are reassured by your words. Well listeners we have about ten minutes before the first votes will be counted. Remember only Mr Arnold Peasegood and Mr Harry Potter remain; any other votes will not be counted. Results will be announced tomorrow at 9pm. I wish the both of you the best of luck! I'm Byron Stein and you've been listening to the Wireless Network Politico Hour. Next up, guest reporter Rita Skeeter will be reviewing the last hour with thoughts and reactions from the audience..."

Byron turned towards him and exhaled heavily and slumped slightly, "Good job Harry. I couldn't say it live, of course, but I hope you get elected; you have my vote!" He reached out and shook his hand heartily before moving off to disappear into the crowd of reporters.

Harry turned around to the others on stage. He threw his hands in the air and gave them all a baffled look, "You could have warned me!".

Miranda laughed and spoke as if he hadn't said anything, "I'm not sticking around. Shall we go to the pub now? There's no way I want to hang around and listen to Skeeter insulting us all." She got up and the others followed suit.

***Sorry couldn't resist, I've been watching The Thick Of It and the credit of that little line goes to their writers!**

A/N: I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but I wanted to get it over with, so I could move on from it. I apologise if it's a bit unpolished! And thank you very much for the words of encouragement **m-f42.**


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